One thing thats struck me about Pennsylania's residents is how many PA Democrats express affinity towards Arlen Specter. Okay, so compared to the modern, Constitution-loathing, bigot-endearing Republican, he's a veritable Mother Theresa. Still....
According to the LA Times, this milder wingnut is among the most vulberable GOP Senators in 2010. And none other than Chris Matthews is gunning for his seat.
Matthews' own non-denial denial is telling:
Matthews, 62, who didn't respond to a request for comment, has dismissed questions about a run in recent months as he lays the groundwork behind the scenes. His contract with MSNBC expires in June.
And we all know what that means.
To the untrained eye, Matthews might seem like a natural fit. He enjoys wide name recognition, the pleasing aura of a famous cartoon bird and millions and millions of Hollywood dollars. But, according to the Matthews Presidential test administered during the primaries and general election, his potential candidacy is a sure loser. For example,
Chris Matthews is not from Scranton. And he lacks hardscrabbletude. Which begs several questions that the host of Hardball asked about Obama in June:
Who is this guy? Is he a Muslim? Is he different? Is he one of us?
Who is this gregarious bloviator on MSNBC? Is he a Catholic? Is he different? Is he one of us?
Also, back in September, Chris Matthews put forth the Cory Hart sunglasses test:
Can Barack Obama, a man of elite education if not elite background, break into the middle class and talk regular? Can he talk to regular people in their kitchens tonight, in their living rooms?
[...]
Everybody thinks Barack is too cool. In other words, there he is with the shades, getting on the plane. A little bit too elegant, a little bit too proud of his own bearing. Is that a problem, that he's just too cool for words. In other words, elite.
Let's examine whether Chris Matthews passes this muster. Chris Mathews makes five million dollars a year from his show. He also wrote some books. But what about the critical question of sunglasses?
Ouch. That's going to cost him some hardworking votes.
In April, Mathews asked McCain some tough questions (tough on Obama) that could be applicable to his own candidacy, such as: "Is Obama an elitist?"
Again, Chris Matthews makes five million dollars a year, which is rich by even McCain’s standards. And he vacations in Paris, owns a house in Chevy Chase and sports a cackle that reeks of "latte-sipper." So put a big X mark next to that question.
According to his own criteria, Chris Matthews doesn't appear up to the task of political office. But he still has time. Maybe he can give himself an image makeover. Perhaps hang out in the woods of Scranton for a few months and immerse himself in the native scrappiness. Who knows? If he were to leave such an enculturation knowing how to hunt varmints, he might just stand a chance on a GOP ticket.